FROST DPS BUILD

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Frost DPS


Last updated: Update 48 - 6th December 2025

This is a thematic build where I'm not always choosing the most optimal option

A thematic build focused entirely on dealing Frost damage.


SUBCLASSING


Combination

Warden - Winter's Embrace

Arcanist - Herald of the Tome

Nightblade - Assassination

Base Class

This build can use either Warden, Arcanist or Nightblade as your base class


SKILL SETUPS


Base Setup

A base setup that will work for most situations and which should be your starting point when making situational setups

Front Bar Back Bar
Slot 1: Wield Soul Slot 1: Winter's Revenge
Slot 2: Torchbearer Slot 2: Arctic Blast
Slot 3: Tentacular Dread Slot 3: Barbed Trap
Slot 4: Deadly Cloak Slot 4: Stampede
Slot 5: Ulfsild's Contingency Slot 5: Recuperative Treatise
Ultimate: Soul Harvest Ultimate: Northern Storm
INFO arrow_down
SITUATIONAL arrow_down
ROTATION arrow_down

Final Setups

A few examples of final setups you could end up with after applying the situational skills to the base setup

Example of a setup you can use for trash packs

Front Bar Back Bar
Slot 1: Camouflaged Hunter Slot 1: Winter's Revenge
Slot 2: Torchbearer Slot 2: Arctic Blast
Slot 3: Tentacular Dread Slot 3: Proximity Detonation
Slot 4: Trample Slot 4: Stampede
Slot 5: Ulfsild's Contingency Slot 5: Recuperative Treatise
Ultimate: Soul Harvest Ultimate: Northern Storm

EXPLANATION:


PASSIVES

There are no passives you need to skip with this build, unless you're using an Ice Staff

  • Class
  • Weapon
  • Armor
  • Guild
  • Alliance War
  • Racial
  • Craft

Class - Winter's Embrace

Glacial Presence - High Priority

Frozen Armor - Medium Priority

Icy Aura - Low Priority

Piercing Cold - High Priority


GEAR


Base Setup

A base setup that will work for most situations and which should be your starting point when making situational setups

Switching gear for trash packs isn't worth it unless you're using gear-swap addons

Default setup

Gear Slot Set Weight/Type Trait Enchantment

Head

Iceheart Medium Divines Magicka

Shoulders

Iceheart Light Divines Magicka

Chest

Whorl of the Depths Light Divines Magicka

Hands

Whorl of the Depths Light Divines Magicka

Belt

Whorl of the Depths Light Divines Magicka

Legs

Whorl of the Depths Light Divines Magicka

Boots

Whorl of the Depths Light Divines Magicka

Necklace

Frostbite Jewelry Infused Increase Magical Harm

Ring

Frostbite Jewelry Infused Increase Magical Harm

Ring

Frostbite Jewelry Infused Increase Magical Harm

Frontbar Main Hand

Frostbite Dagger Charged Flame

Frontbar Off Hand

Frostbite Dagger Charged Poison

Backbar Main Hand

Merciless Charge Greatsword Infused Frost

SITUATIONAL arrow_down
ALTERNATIVE arrow_down
ADDITIONAL INFO arrow_down

Final Setups

A few examples of final setups you could end up with after applying situational rules to the base setup

This is the crafted gear setup you can start with

Gear Slot Set Weight/Type Trait Enchantment

Head

Order's Wrath Medium Divines Magicka

Shoulders

Order's Wrath Light Divines Magicka

Chest

Tide-Born Wildstalker Light Divines Magicka

Hands

Tide-Born Wildstalker Light Divines Magicka

Belt

Tide-Born Wildstalker Light Divines Magicka

Legs

Tide-Born Wildstalker Light Divines Magicka

Boots

Tide-Born Wildstalker Light Divines Magicka

Necklace

Order's Wrath Jewelry Infused Increase Magical Harm

Ring

Order's Wrath Jewelry Infused Increase Magical Harm

Ring

Order's Wrath Jewelry Infused Increase Magical Harm

Frontbar Main Hand

Highland Sentinel Dagger Charged Flame

Frontbar Off Hand

Highland Sentinel Dagger Charged Poison

Backbar Main Hand

Highland Sentinel Greatsword Infused Frost

CHAMPION POINTS

Warfare

Fitness

ADDITIONAL INFO:

  • Replace Fighting Finesse with Exploiter if your supports are providing enough Critical Damage for you to reach the 125% cap without Fighting Finesse
  • You can use Celerity in fights where you need more movement speed. Replace the Champion Point which is least useful for that fight, for example replace Siphoning Spells if a certain fight has no adds you could kill for Magicka

RACE

The difference between best and worst race is about 5% of DPS and there is no content in the entire game that you'd be blocked from completing because of choosing a bad race.

Best race for 12-man content - High Elf, Dark Elf

Best race for 4-man content - Khajiit

Other decent options: Orc, Breton


MUNDUS

You should use The Thief Mundus, which increases your Critical Chance


ATTRIBUTES

HEALTH

0

STAMINA

0

MAGICKA

64

You should always put all 64 attribute points into Magicka


FOOD


POTIONS

Most of the time you should use Tri-Stat potions (Restore Health, Restore Stamina, Restore Magicka). They'll greatly improve your sustain. You can craft them by combining Columbine, Bugloss and Mountain's Flower.

When using a Destruction Staff, you can also use Heroism Potions (Restore Stamina, Restore Magicka, Heroism) which can provide a 100% uptime on Minor Heroism buff which generates ultimate, but they're expensive because they're crafted by combining Dragon Rheum, Dragon's Blood and Columbine.


PARSE

Combat Metrics screenshot of the 125k parse

Recording of the 125k parse

OTHER PARSES

Inferno Staff - 123k DPS


GAMEPLAY

Logs of Veteran Trials and Dungeons I've finished using this build

Trials

Veteran Lucent Citadel - https://www.esologs.com/reports/dHbLYPcCnXy6TjMp

Veteran Kyne's Aegis - https://www.esologs.com/reports/GHMq8gvnaBty7KFW


Dungeons

Veteran Hard Mode Scalecaller Peak - https://www.esologs.com/reports/1hNx4BnacbQJkFXt

Veteran Hard Mode Stone Garden - https://www.esologs.com/reports/y9K8v2mV3n7fzR1A


THANKS FOR READING

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